The tragedy of Macbeth - Coursework Example

 The tragedy of Macbeth The tragedy of Macbeth is set in an eerie background; the very first scene is about the three witches, which is a perfect way to set the mood of the drama. A tragedy has certain dramatic elements like: eeriness, supernatural, madness or hallucination and conspiracies; and a series of actions by the tragic hero that arise from a misjudgement, or tragic flaw, etc. We see a sudden upraise in the status of Macbeth- who is a general and is elevated to the Thane of Cawdor, for his bravery and loyalty to the king of Scotland. The three witches heighten the element of drama in the very first scene of Act 1, and give an over view of the mood of the play: ‘darkness, thunder, lightning, battle lost and won’- everything prepares the reader for a Shakespearean tragic drama. He thus employs such elements to enhance the imagery and symbolism in the play. Shakespeare has used various poetic devices in Macbeth like: rhyming couplets, as in: ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair: / Hover through the fog and filthy air’. (1:i, lines. 11-12) Macbeth is in every sense a tragic hero because he exhibits all signs of a traditional Shakespearean tragic hero. He is of noble birth and a brave general- so much so that his acts of bravery and loyalty to the King of Scotland and his country are narrated by a soldier in such a way that King Duncan feels proud of him, and confers the title of Thane of Cawdor, then and there. This shows that Macbeth had established a reputation for himself as a brave general and fortune was bound to reward him for his good deeds. He did not have to intervene and take over the matters of his own Fate. Shakespeare’s tragedies have deep moral and philosophical matter that forces the audience to reflect at human nature and at the consequences of human actions. The tragic downfall of the tragic hero is depicted by the wrong choice he makes. The protagonist (hero) is given a choice to decide the course of his actions at some important point of his life; and the decision that he has to take is highly critical, as it shall determine his subsequent actions and their eventual result. Macbeth’s blind belief in the prophecies of the witches fuels his ambitions to such an extent that he immediately informs his wife about it. He fails to control his ambitions and reacts so impulsively that he errs in his judgement. Though he was not sure about the prophecies and he even discusses it with Bancou; yet the ‘black and deep desires’ (I: iv, line. 58) in his heart had already been awakened and blinded his wisdom. Had he even thought twice before believing in the prophecies, he would not have hastened to murder the king. In Shakespearean tragedies, the tragic hero is also given a chance to rectify his tragic flaw. In Macbeth, various incidents occur before killing the king like the flying dagger, and his constant pricks of his conscience. Even Lady Macbeth confesses that she was unable to kill the king because he resembled her own father. Macbeth eventually kills the king and doesn’t rectify his mistake and that is where his downfall was triggered. His tragic flaw- or error of judgement is responsible for his downfall- which is manifested in the hasty way he planned and murdered the King. The heirs of the king flee in order to save their lives, and Macbeth ascends the throne. Macbeth realizes how vulnerable his position is, and so he gets Banquo and Macduff’s family killed; while Macduff and Banquo’s son flee the country. All the subsequent murders were executed in order to secure the prophecies of the witches. His ambition fuelled by the prophecies was his greatest weakness, or tragic flaw that triggered his downfall. Had he not paid heed to the prophecies of the witches or the persuasion of Lady Macbeth to commit the heinous murder of Duncan and instead waited for Fate to take its natural course of time, he would not have been trapped in the murderous frenzy to attain kingship. His death is tragic because he foresaw his imminent death at the hands of Macduff; yet he fought bravely. He did not surrender even though he realized that he would be killed. This shows that he was indeed a brave hero, who was blinded by his ambition and though he knew that Lady Macbeth had an evil plan of murdering the king, yet he yielded to it. His ambitiousness proved to bring about his fatal end; and murdering Duncan was the turning point that altered the course of his life. His death is a lesson for others; thus Macbeth successfully portrays a characteristic Shakespearean tragic hero. His tragic death is the result of his free will- it was not ordained by Fate. This is an important characteristic of a tragic hero that he makes a wrong choice and his own actions lead him to commit a series of actions that eventually lead him to his downfall. However, the punishment of a tragic hero always exceeds the crime. Macbeth was partially punished when Lady Macbeth died; yet he held on to his resolution of defending his castle and prepared for the war. Unfortunately, he was befooled by the prophecies of the witches that ‘no man born from a woman could kill him’ (IV: i, line. 90); and that Birnam wood could physically never come to Scotland. Even when Macduff informs him that he was not born via vaginal birth but was taken out of his mother’s womb, Macbeth doesn’t give up the fight and does justice to his character. At that moment, the truth of the prophecy is revealed that nature follows its own course; it cannot be brought about by the will or power of man. This is what Macbeth tried to do: he took matters in his own hands, and chose an evil way to have things done in his favour. Macbeth is not about religion at all: ‘...the presentation of goodness and holiness in Macbeth is muted and peripheral. The tyrant is eventually overthrown by human powers, in hand to hand combat, where the presence of God is neither invoked nor declared, though it may be assumed.’ (Brown, 2005, p. 33) In Macbeth, human weakness and the elements that make him commit irreversible actions have been highlighted. Macbeth could have avoided the evil scheming of Lady Macbeth as he exclaimed: ‘Bring forth men-children only...’ (I: vii, line. 81). It was in this very scene that the inner conflict begins in his soul. The battle between his good nature and his ambitions that were taking on an evil shape had begun. This inner conflict is reflected in his arguments with Lady Macbeth on the night he murders the king. She accuses him of his manhood and provokes such evil ambitions and desire in him that he could not resist and goes about to kill the king. Even in the king’s bedroom, his inner conflict is not resolved- yet he takes action. Were he able to rethink over his decision, he might have had saved himself from such a tragic situation. The scenes of murder in Macbeth invoke fear and leave a deep impact on the minds of the audience. The suspended dagger in the air and the appearance of the ghost of Bancuo personify the inner fears of Macbeth. Macbeth could actually see his forth coming death- yet he dies a hero’s death. References: Brown, JR 2005, Focus on Macbeth, Routledge, Oxon, Great Britain. Sargent, E (ed.) 1848, Macbeth: a tragedy in five acts, Douglas, New York. Read More